Tucked away on the sea side of Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach is a magnificent restaurant, Splashes. On a day with high tide, you may literally have splashes of water on the glass next to your seat!
With a view this gorgeous, you’ll be delighted to know that the food at Splashes is equally as such. Whether you want to go out for a romantic date night or for a nice dinner with friends, run–don’t walk–to make a Splashes reservation ASAP.
Splashes has an impeccable wine list and a variety of unique cocktails that utilize trendy ingredients. After our server said the La Bonne Vie and the Sangria Blanc are the most popular cocktails during a recent visit, we ordered one of each. The La Bonne Vie was subtly sweet and refreshing while the Sangria Blanc was light and tropical. Plus, cocktails just taste better when you’re drinking them while listening to the waves roll in.
To start, the chef brought us an amuse bouche consisting of a perfectly cooked scallop in a colorful beet sauce. We knew if the rest of our meal tasted as good as this single scallop, we were in for quite a treat. Next, we ordered the crisp Brussels sprouts, which we could eat every day for the rest of our lives. The crispy sprouts were mixed with candied pecans and brandy cranberries with an accompanying smoked honey goat cheese sauce. We could have used triple the sauce because it was that good!
Our server recommended the Mediterranean branzino for the main course. While a full fish complete with head can seem intimidating to some, the way it was presented was ideal. In addition to the succulent fish was a yellow tomato-and-lavender broth and a hearty side of farro-and-crab risotto. We also ordered the five-hour short ribs from the “Land” side of the menu. The short rib melted in the mouth and included a flavorful, pillow-y butternut squash cloud to go with it.
No dinner is complete without dessert, and Splashes spoiled us rotten. We were able to enjoy a platter with samples of the sticky toffee pudding, sorbet and opera torte. To say we were in heaven is an understatement. The sticky toffee pudding is for those 21-plus because it is soaked in whisky and caramel, and the butter pecan gelato that comes with it is a smart pairing. The opera torte will sing right on key for the chocolate lovers, and the sorbet surely satisfies that craving for a little something sweet post-dinner.
For more information about Splashes, visit www.surfandsandresort.com.